A Russian Air Force general has been reportedly shot and killed in eastern Ukraine. Major General Kanamat Botashev’s plane was hit by a Stinger missile on Sunday over the town of Popasna in the Donbass. It is unclear what the general was doing in Ukraine – as he was released in 2013. There is evidence that he was in action for the infamous Wagner mercenary group.
The Ukrainian General Staff reported on Sunday that a Russian Su-25 fighter plane was shot down by paratroopers. The pilots had no time to save themselves. As the British broadcaster BBC now reports, citing various sources, Botashev was in the cockpit.
Mourning in Russian Telegram Groups
The pilot’s death has not been officially confirmed. He would be the ninth Russian general to die in the war and the most senior Russian Air Force officer. The Russian Telegram channel “Fighterbomber”, which discusses military aviation, mourned the death of the general: “There are few people on this planet who have experienced the sky like you. Heaven takes the best, today it cost you wrote one user on the channel.
Born in the Caucasus, Botashev was considered an excellent pilot. However, he was released from the military in 2013 and placed on the reserve. At the time, he had decided to try out a Su-27 fighter. He crashed the fighter jet during an aerobatic exercise. Botashev was able to save himself with an ejection seat. It turned out that he had flown the fighter jet without the necessary certification.
What was Botashev doing in Ukraine?
It is not clear how the 63-year-old retired general was deployed in Ukraine. Former subordinates suggested to the BBC that: that the former commander of an air regiment “just couldn’t stay away”.
It is possible that Botashev was employed by the Wagner group as a mercenary. The Russian mercenary recently released a video from the cockpit of an Su-25 firing at Ukrainian positions in Popasna. A Wagner-affiliated Telegram channel reported on May 10 that it had its own jet aircraft. There are rumors of planes in Popasna, the identification of which does not apply to the Russian or Ukrainian air forces, it said. Now they “have been using plane sharing for a while, but that’s only for people in the know,” the cryptic message continued.
Mobilization for retired military personnel
Another reason for Botashev’s presence in Ukraine could be the secret mobilization in Russia, which has been going on for months, according to media reports. Retired soldiers are actively deployed again. The reason is believed to be that the Russian armed forces do not have high-quality specialists who can control their aircraft due to the high losses. So far, at least nine Russian reserve officers over 50 are said to have been killed during the war in Ukraine.
Botashev was shot near the city of Popasna, according to the Ukrainian General Staff. It is in this area that the fiercest fighting is currently taking place, as the Russian army tries on the one hand to advance towards Kramatorsk and on the other to reach the administrative borders of the Luhansk region and to encircle the Ukrainian troops.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
